Hotspots, Money, Tempura & Ramen!
 

Hi all. We leave in 19 days for my daughter's 13th birthday celebration in Japan. Hotels and Ryokans are booked in Tokyo, Miyajima and Kyoto. Trains are reserved to Nara, Nikko, Hiroshima, and Kyoto. Restaurant reservations are made at the more upscale places, including Jiro which is the main gift. The kids -- 3 girls -- are getting crazy Japanese nails, making sushi, taking samurai lessons, making kimonos, and taking part in a traditional tea ceremony. And of course, we will try to see Harajuku girls too! We have all of the sights -- temples, gardens & museums -- covered on self-guided and guided walking tours that I picked up from reading every trip report that I could find.

So this is what I need to finish this trip up with a bang:

1) The best mobile wifi company to rent a personal hot spot device. I've contacted two companies that I read about that never got back to me.

2) Best ramen noodle spots. They don't have to be fancy -- we just want to experience different varieties of top notch ramen, especially for lunch when we are out touring.

3) Best tempura spots. Again does not have to be fancy but looking for a few lunches and a dinner.

4) Lastly, money thoughts. Should I take out a bunch of cash at the airport? Will I be making most of my shopping purchases with my credit card? Besides trains and taxis, will I use a lot of cash? Please advise your thoughts. I read about trying to find post offices and 7-Elevens to take out cash.

Thanks in advance all. Your help has been amazing!

I can only answer the money question. Take out a batch of money at the airport. Use your credit card wherever you can. And when you need more money remember that the post office or convenience stores like 7-11 have ATMs that will work with your foreign card. Anyone at your hotel can point you to the nearest one.

We took out way too much money from ATMs, found we could use credit cards more than we expected. We had several hundred dollars in yen when it was time to leave and changed it back into dollars at the airport.

Have a wonderful trip!

4) Yes.

If you have a lot of cash left at the end then use it to pay down your final hotel bill.

Two good points on money. We end in Kyoto before going to Bali. Will make sure we use any left over at our last hotel before transitioning to another country. Thanks all.

And another trick, with leftover cash (maybe not hundreds of dollars worth): add the cash to your Starbuck's card. You'll use the card eventually, somewhere!

Here's my post on a tempura place in Shinjuku area:
http://www.kaveyeats.com/2012/11/tem...uku-tokyo.html

Thanks Kavey! This seems like a perfect option. The pictures are to die for! I added it to the list! Looking forward...

To internet wiz- great tip thanks for sharing!

You are welcome, and don't be afraid to just walk into places that appeal, we did that a lot (though in this particular restaurant's case, I'd found it recommended somewhere on the web and had it written down) and never had a bad meal!

Hi all.

Just wanted to report back that I searched the forums and found many people had rented pocket wifi's from Global Advanced Communications.
I just submitted my order and it was easy breezy and they will drop off at my hotel.

I'm glad I did this as so many folks have said that this is essential when walking around and exploring Japanese cities. Here is the link for future travelers!

http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html

Take care.

Global Advanced is one good one; there are others and ultimately it depends on how many days you plan to use it, as well as if there is a pick up/return fee involved to determine which is best for you.
Yes, credit cards are slowly gaining more acceptance in Japan, but a lot depends on where you go. If you are going into smaller towns or smaller shops, it's highly unlikely you can use a card. And depending on your card, there could be a foreign currency transaction fee for every purchase - know your card rules, and tell your bank you are going abroad ahead of your trip so in case you use it they don't suspect fraud and immediately freeze your account. Have their non-800 number handy in case they do it anyway.
As for buying yen, it also depends on your home currency. If the USA, buy yen IN JAPAN. If the UK or Australia, it's probably better to buy yen before you leave. If Canadian, probably better to buy US dollars before your trip if you can do it with a low margin, then buy yen in Japan. You can always check current Japan exchange rates at:
http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/exchange_e/index.html
Generally though using your ATM card at a Japanese Post Office or 7-11 is FAR more convenient - you get a better exchange rate, and other charges are only high if you deal with a rip-off big bank (a credit union can save you a lot here too).
BTW if you want to go see the Harajuku Girls you need to go there on a Sunday afternoon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tY7jPFhTBM
Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park are next to it and well worth seeing also. And be sure not to miss the Shibuya Hachiko
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7f8034bejU
intersection especially on a weekend when it looks like half the city is crossing the street all together.
Miyajima is nice but if you want to try to climb up Mt. Misen, the trek can be fairly arduous. The view from the top is something wonderful though. If you still have some time, Iwakuni is not far past Miyajima and has its iconic bridge and mountaintop castle - very charming and unique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0COOZXi66mM
You also shouldn't miss Nara - missing the Todaiji Great Buddha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiGqHkHIPWs
is like going to India and skipping the Taj Mahal.
Since you are already seeing Tokyo, you can largely skip Osaka during the day. After the temples of Kyoto close down around 5PM, you can zip over to Osaka for the evening. At night the city comes alive and has some great places to see, such as Dotonbori
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJ_MeXbeow
plus the night views from the Umeda Sky Bldg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb1wuyAGgyQ
and Abeno Harukas Bldg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AyUZmGbW8g
are wonderful.

Adastra2200

Your Youtube links have just caused me to spend a whole afternoon video watching (all in the name of research of course!)

Adastra2200,

Yes me too! Thanks especially for the one on the Harajuku girls. My daughter loved it!

1.Rentaphone Japan...talk to Justin. You can click on my screen name and read me reports of what I have rented and how it works
http://www.rentafonejapan.com/index.html

2. Since your not going as far as Fukuoka you can go to Yokohama from Tokyo and go to any of the venues that look good in the ramen museum
http://www.raumen.co.jp/english/

3. There is one place in Shinjuku Station that I always go to but the name is in Japanese and the station is a maze as you will see. Most large train stations will have all the ramen and tempura you want

4. Money is easily accessible through Kathies methods explained above.

Aloha!

bookmarking!!

One thought is to put enough money on your Suica card so you can use it for subway,bus, vending and shop items. Easy to just swipe over touch pads and good in most all major areas.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

Adastra, thanks for all the tips. I quibble with your strategy for Canadian dollars. Every exchange of currency costs the customer(through the exchange rates and transaction fees) so I can see no advantage of changing Cdn to US and then to Japanese currency. Narita exchange booths will buy Cdn money the same as many other currencies, while taking a slice for their profit. ATM cards are surely the most efficient tool in Japan as in many countries today. But don't withdraw small amounts as your bank back home will probably, as you suggest, impose a stiff fee for every foreign transaction. There are exceptions, but not many.